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We applaud MassDOT for following our suggestion to delay the Casey Overpass replacement decision until mid-January. It is the right thing to do. MassDOT already held a thorough series of meetings about the overpass replacement, also by local request. But as with all long processes, the real action happens at the end. That is...

The Occupy movement was a historic success as consciousness-raising and a validation that things really are as bad as they feel. It should survive as more than T-shirts and the inevitable movie. One way that can happen is through hands-on work in local communities. As usual, JP was ahead on the curve on this....

Winter’s cold embrace begins on Dec. 22, but we are actually closer to the Sun now than we are in the summer. Jan. 3 marks the day our planet draws closest to our parent star in its oval-shaped orbit. Winter comes not because we are far from the warming Sun, but because we are...

I have been reading the recent letters in this paper about the Casey Overpass replacement project, and I’d like to put in a word in favor of replacing the bridge with an at-grade road network. I live adjacent to the overpass and use the intersections around it daily. The roads running under the overpass...

The board of Jamaica Plain Youth Soccer (JPYS) would like to thank our generous sponsors. Their ever-growing support enables more than 300 local boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 18 to learn fundamental soccer skills, have fun with their friends and perhaps become the next Hope Solo or Lionel Messi. Jamaica...

In your most recent editions, you have published a number of letters advocating for the replacement bridge to replace the Casey Overpass. I would like to offer a counterpoint to those letters. The most important thing to remember is that independent traffic studies show that traffic will flow through the area at essentially the...

I am curious as to how you can present an article with such a name and not feature Ultra Beauty Salon in Hyde Square? (“Salons aim for Newbury style, JP attitude,” Dec. 2.) Is the Gazette suffering from some Centre/South bias? Damaris and her team at Ultra have been offering the best of JP...

I am a 22-year resident of Jamaica Plain and I strongly support the at-grade solution to replace the Casey Overpass. As an architect, I vehemently and completely disagree with the concept of a bridge replacement. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reconnect the Emerald Necklace and to restore a critical piece of urban design for future generations. Frederick...

The public discussion of the surface street versus the new bridge options for the post-Casey Overpass plan has been rich and thoughtful. Such an important transportation corridor and intersection deserves careful deliberation. I am also impressed with the civility of the debate. Those who favor the no-bridge plan and those who prefer a plan...

The following letter was sent to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and elected officials: I am writing to register my view that the at-grade solution is far superior to that of a new overpass. I confess that I was surprised to reach this conclusion. Having used the overpass on an almost daily basis when I commuted...

The following letter was sent to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation: Thank you very much for soliciting public comments on the “bridge/no bridge” alternatives for the Forest Hills/Arborway/Washington Street interchange following the removal of the Casey Overpass. This is a critical juncture for our Jamaica Plain/Forest Hills community. What will the future hold? Will...

The planning for a replacement of the deteriorating Casey Overpass presents a rare opportunity for Jamaica Plain, the Forest Hills neighborhood and the Emerald Necklace park system to repair damage from a past mistake. As the Arborway Coalition representative on the WAG (Working Advisory Group), I have received many heartfelt comments, all in favor...

Forest Hills, through its high through-put of people throughout the day, and proximity to world-class parks offering leisure and recreational opportunities, has the inherent traits to foster the high degree of pedestrian activity that is crucial for fostering community, safety, high transit use, and with all of that, successful development. In its current state, it...

The deadline for listings is noon, Jan. 3 for the Jan. 6 issue. Send listings to reporter@jamaicaplaingazette.com. Note: 617 should be dialed before numbers below, unless another area code is given. Special Events Craft Fair, sponsored by UForge Gallery and Eliot Hall. Sat., Dec. 17 and Sun., Dec. 18, 11am-5pm, at the Footlight Club....

The deadline for JP Agenda listings is noon, Jan. 3 for the Jan 6 issue. Send listings to news@jamaicaplaingazette.com. Note: 617 should be dialed before numbers below, unless another area code is given. Meetings JPNC Public Service Committee, Tues., Jan. 3, 7pm, Curtis Hall, 20 South St. Agenda Includes: finalization of agenda for committee...

The Boston Police Department has released a sketch of a man being sought in connection with a Nov. 28 sexual assault in Franklin Park. The man is described as Hispanic; in his mid-20s; 5-feet-8-inches tall; medium build; and wearing a black hat and a black jacket or long-sleeved shirt. The sketch appears to show...

By Rebeca Oliveira and John Ruch The official state website for the Casey Overpass replacement project recently included—then abruptly yanked—a link to a video made by supporters of the surface street option. The site did not feature any links or other references to pro-bridge supporters. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has not announced...

The state has postponed until mid-January the announcement of a Casey Overpass replacement project. The public comment period has been extended through Fri., Dec. 9. Public meetings scheduled for next week to announce the decision have been canceled and will be rescheduled for sometime in January, likely the week of Jan. 16. “Because so...

Occupy JP held a protest march on Centre Street today, with stops at corporate chains and community institutions, in an event that will be repeated on Dec. 11. Their message was that a broken system makes America’s richest even richer while communities like Jamaica Plain suffer cuts in social services. “Occupy JP is mobilizing...

Bridge supporters rally FOREST HILLS—The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will decide on which alternative—bridge or at-grade—will replace the current Casey Overpass by Dec. 12. Bridge supporters are rallying against what they call a biased MassDOT process. Surface option supporters are also organizing. The decision will be announced to members of the Working Advisory...

Despite loss of state funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Forest Hills Educational Trust (FHET) still has $340,000 in assets and is hinting that its signature event, the Lantern Festival, could return next year. FHET is the troubled nonprofit that organizes art events at Forest Hills Cemetery. When asked about the possible return...

A recreation center planned for Jackson Square has scored nearly $6 million in state funding, putting the community dream closer to reality. The state in 2008 approved the idea of issuing $5.69 million in bonds to help fund the Jackson Square Recreation Center. But just recently, it authorized actually issuing those bonds, according to...